Ptychochromis insolitus
| Ptychochromis insolitus | |
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| Male at London Zoo | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Ptychochrominae |
| Genus: | Ptychochromis |
| Species: | P. insolitus |
| Binomial name | |
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Ptychochromis insolitus Stiassny & Sparks, 2006 |
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Ptychochromis insolitus, also known as the Mangarahara cichlid, is a species of cichlid endemic to certain river systems in northern Madagascar. It was first described in 2006 but was then thought to have disappeared, before a remnant population was discovered in 2013. The fish, just 5.5 cm (2.2 in) long, is threatened by habitat loss and introduced species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being "critically endangered". The fish found in 2013 have been moved into captivity where attempts are being made to breed them.
The Mangarahara cichlid was first described as a new species in 2006 from the Amboaboa and Mangarahara Rivers near Mandritsara in northern Madagascar. It is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, but until its rediscovery in 2013, it was feared that the last remaining wild population had disappeared. This rare species is threatened by habitat loss and introduced species. Prior to its official description, it was sometimes known as Ptychochromis sp. nov. "Joba mena" or Ptychochromis sp. nov. "Mangarahara". Two cichlids from another genus, Paretroplus nourissati and P. gymnopreopercularis, and a round herring, Sauvagella robusta, are restricted to the same region as Ptychochromis insolitus. This species can reach a length of 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in) SL.
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Wikipedia